Washing machines



Feb. 14, 1956 DUNN ETAL 2,734,366

WASHING MACHINES Filed Oct. 25, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 ilw hnh c y W7 6 32am Attorney Feb. 14, 1956 H. G. DUNN EIAL WASHING MACHINES Filed Oct. 23. 1951 F/GZ.

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WASHING MACHINES Filed Oct. 23, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 dwardJZ/[aydon Attorney (all United States Patent WASHING MACHINES Harold George Dunn, Frederick Roy Sibbald, and Edward Kershaw Haydon, Perivale, Greenford England, assignors, by mesne assignments, to The rioover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application October 23, 1951, Serial No. 252,632 1 Claim. (Cl. 68-131) This invention relates to washing machines and is concerned with a simple and economical arrangement for emptying the washing liquid from a Washing machine.

' According to the present invention a washing machine includes a container for washing liquid, an impeller in the container, a driving motor for the impeller, and, for emptying the container, a pump of centrifugal or other non-positive type permanently connected to the driving motor of the impeller, and means for closing the passage for liquid to or from the pump, to prevent undesired emptying.

For example, the outlet from the pump may be connected to a flexible pipe having a storage position in which its free end is closed by a hung fixed to the machine, thereby preventing delivery from the pump.

Such an arrangement enables a single driving motor to be employed for driving the impeller as well as for driving the pump for emptying the container, and avoids the provision of a clutch or other means for disconnecting the pump. In normal operation the pump rotates, but since the passage for liquid is closed it imparts no energy to the liquid, and the power wasted in circulating the liquid is unimportant. If desired, the pump may be designed with large clearancesso that the power required is a minimum when delivering no liquid, bearing in mind that the efiiciency when delivering liquid is unimportant.

Where, as will usually be the case, the machine has an electric driving motor, the pump shaft is preferably insulated from the motor shaft, for example the shafts of the pump and motor may be parallel and for transmitting the drive may carry cooperating friction Wheels whereof at least a part of at least one is of insulating material. In addition the pump body may be supported by the motor body but insulated from it, for example the pump body may be formed at least partly of insulating material having an arm moulded integrally with it by which it is connected to the motor body.

If necessary the washing impeller may be connected to the driving motor through a clutch. This may be advantageous if it is found that the rotation of the impeller causes undue lathering of the liquid when the container is partially empty. In general, however, this lathering is only objectionable when the container contains clean water and soap and does not arise after one or two loads of clothes have been washed in the liquid. Since the container will normally only be emptied when the liquid has been used and its washing effectiveness is exhausted the difliculty is not likely to be a serious one, and in this case, in the interests of simplicity, the impeller may be permanently connected to the driving motor.

The machine may be provided with a combined filling and extension emptying hose of sufficient diameter to fit loosely over ordinary taps and allow water to flow down it fast enough not to overflow, and also to fit over the delivery pipe to form an extension of it.

The invention may be carried into practice in various ways but one specific arrangement will be briefly described ing a shaft D carrying a pulley'D 2,734,366 Patented Feb. 14, 1956 Figure 3 is an enlarged axial section through the empty ing pump, and

'Figure 4 is a view of a combined filling and extension.

emptying hose.

The washing machine comprises a generally rectangular container A having a pair of vertical side walls A and A a pair of vertical end walls A and A*, a substantially horizontal bottom wall A extending from one end wall A to about the middle of the container, and a sloping wall A extending to the other end wall. Recessed into one of the vertical side walls A is a disc-like impeller B having six smoothly curved radial ribs B projecting from its face. Beneath the container and enclosed by an outer container or shroud C is an electric driving motor D hav- The pulley D is provided with a belt D through which it drives another pulley B mounted on the shaft of the impeller B.

The motor shaft D also carries a friction wheel D for driving a centrifugal emptying pump B. As shown in Figure 3 this comprises a casing E containing a centrifugal impeller E on a shaft E carried in suitable bearings mounted in an end plate E and having at its outer end a friction wheel E The pump casing is provided with an arm E bolted to a lug D formed on one of the end frames of the motor so as to support the pump in such a position that the periphery of the friction wheel E engages that of the friction wheel D on the motor shaft. These wheels are held in engagement by a spring E and one or each of them may be provided with a tyre or friction ring, as shown at E V i The arrangement described provides a simple Way of electrically isolating the pump and its contents from both the shaft and frame of the motor, so that even if a fault should develop in the motor and cause the motor shaft or frame to be live, the water in the machine will still not constitute a source of danger.

For this purpose the only metal main parts of the pump are the shaft E which is of stainless steel, and the end plate E which is an aluminium casting. The impeller E is of synthetic resin moulded on to the shaft, the casing E is of synthetic resin having the arm E moulded integrally with it, and the friction wheel E is also of synthetic resin moulded on to a metal hub. In addition to providing insulation the use of synthetic resin mouldings for the easing and impeller affords smooth surfaces which tend to improve efficiency and avoid collecting lint.

The arrangement also removes the pump from the immediate vicinity of the motor so that if any liquid should leak from the pump it .will escape on to the floor and not into the motor. The arrangement also enables the pump to be driven at a higher speed than the motor and hence to be of reduced size. For example the speeds of the pump, motor and washing impeller may be respectively about 2100 R. P. M., 1400 R. P. M. and 530 R. P. M.

The spokes of the friction wheel D may be formed as fan blades, preferably to supplement a main fan at the other end of the motor, especially if, in the interests of reliability, a shaded pole motor is employed.

The bottom of the container is provided with a sump F into which the liquid will drain and from which it can be drawn through a suction pipe F communicating with the inlet to the pump. The sump has a perforated cover F flush with the bottom of the container. The delivery outlet of the pump is connected by a delivery pipe G through a union G to a further delivery pipe G The de- 7 3 livery pipe G is shown in Figure 2 in its storage position in which it extends from the union G to a mounting block G affording a solid bung G which in this position blocks the end of the delivery pipe.

Preferably, 'as shown in Figure 4, the delivery pipe G has a circumferential ring or rib G moulded or bonded round it' to cooperate with a combined filling and extension emptying pipe H. The diameter'ot the latter is large, so that for filling the container it can be fitted loosely over any ordinary tap or faucet, somewhat in the manner of a funnel, and so that in normal circumstances the water will flow away down it and not overflow even though the tube is a loosefiton the tap. A ring H surrounding the end of the pipe H carries a chain H which can be looped or wound round the tap to hold the pipe in position. For filling the container, the chain H is looped around the tap with one end of pipe H loosely receiving the fluid discharge portion of the tap and the other end thereof extending into the container A to discharge water thereinto. For emptying the container, the end of the pipe G can be pushed into the extension pipe H as shown, and the ring G will provide a watertight joint even if the pipe G is of ribbed type. The ring G may have a tapered surface to facilitate pushing it into the extension pipe H. In one example the extension pipe H has an internal diameter of one inch while the outside diameter of the delivery pipe G is A; of an inch or less. The extension pipe H may be moulded or otherwise shaped with cranked or inclined ends as shown at H and H to enable these ends more easily to fit over a tap and into the container without buckling.

In normal operation the rotation of the motor turns the washing impeller to effect washing in well known manner. At the same time the pump rotates idly since the delivery pipe is blocked by the bung G and hence no liquid can flow through the pump. As indicated in Figure 3 theclearance between the pump impeller and easing may be greater than usual so as to minimise frictional losses while the pump is rotating idly, bearing in mind that the efficiency of the pump, when it is operating, is of no great importance. When the water in the container has become too dirty for further use and the user wishes to empty the container, all that is necessary is to withdraw the delivery pipe G from the bung G and direct it, with or without the extension pipe H, into a suitable receptacle,

such as a bath or sink, and start the motor. The pump will then deliver the liquid from the container. When the container is empty and air enters the pump, pumping may cease even though a certain amount of liquid remains in the delivery pipes. When the motor is switched ofl. this liquid will be accommodated in the sump F so that it remains out of sight and cannot come into contact with the clothes in the container.

Conveniently the union block G and mounting block 6 also serve as supports for a wringer N which is pivoted to them so that it can be folded down into the container in known manner when not in use.

It will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to the arrangement specifically described. Thus the pulley D may be mounted freely on the motor shaft and driven by it through a clutch.

What we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a washing machine having a container for washing liquid, an impeller in the container and a drive motor for the impeller, the combination of a fluid pump having a liquid inlet connected to drain said container and a discharge outlet, said pump having relatively movable fluid pumping members separated by clearances sutficient to allow operation of said pump when said outlet is closed, means forming a permanent driving connection between said motor and said pump, a bung fixed to the machine, and a flexible conduit connected at one end to the outlet of said pump and having a storage position in which its free end is closed by said bung to prevent delivery of liquid from said pump.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,279,510 Frantz Apr. 14, 1942 2,341,894 Baritie Feb. 15, 1944 2,361,767 Hays, Jr. Oct.'31, 1944 2,412,078 Breckenridge et a1. Dec. 3, 1946 2,502,965 Knapp Apr. 4, 1950 2,516,656 Smith July 25, 1950 2,538,200 Johnston Jan. 16, 1951 2,554,672 Johnston May 29, 1951 2,555,725 Archbold June 5, 1951 

